Self-Acceptance and the Modern Person

We’re not primed to accept ourselves in the modern world. Self-acceptance is the most rebellious act one can achieve in a fragmented reality. As we all clamber over one another to express our individualism we are told by expert marketers that we only need buy this ‘age cream’ and then, then we will be accepted for who we are.

Or, the newest car, the latest technology, the biggest house – you get my drift. It’s not popular for one to express true individualism, because that is a person who cannot be sold to. That person cannot be tricked into thinking the new Prime Minister, or President will be the saviour to mankind – no, true self-acceptance is an inside job with full accountability; it never comes from the approval of your friends, family, or the group that you represent.

I was once a man that sought comfort from my peers; craved social acceptance from my friends and family, was always looking to others for guidance and support. I didn’t trust my own decision making, and I was always looking to other people to define me for the person that I was.

As I have grown older and wiser, I have been through a series of life tests that would send even the toughest of people screaming for their childhood cuddle toy. Yet through unflinching willingness to face my own darkness, I have come out as a victor; as a result I have become quite the rebel to society. When you come to peace with yourself, you stand outside of society watching the calamity that ensues for those who don't recognize the amazing power of it.

I have accepted myself for who I am fully and will not let anyone define me or demean me.

This month our contributors are writing about self-acceptance. I love reading these kinds of stories so it will be interesting to see. I suspect that many of them, like me, faced great challenges on this road.